Rep. Gary Glenn (R-Midland) introduced legislation to repeal and replace Common Core in Lansing yesterday, February 24, 2016. Joining him in support of the bill were Senator Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton) Rep. Martin Howrylak (R-Troy) and Rep. Eric Leutheuser (R-Hillsdale).
According to a report from MIRS, 19 additional lawmakers, including a pair of Democrats — Rep. Robert Kosowski (D-Westland) and Rep. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) — support the bill. Santana recounted his own experience with his daughter to the MIRS reporter,
“Santana said his fourth-grader came home with a simple question. What is 4+2? Simple enough, right? But with Common Core focusing on why 4+2=6, Santana is stumped by his own daughter’s math homework.
“Common Core is designed to make adults feel stupid,” Santana said.
House Education Committee Chair Amanda Price (R-Park Township) told MIRS she has not seen the bill. Price did have several questions:
Would the standards adopted in Massachusetts eight years ago fit into what Michigan has been doing in the classroom with teacher evaluations and other education policy?
– How would any student assessment law jibe with the testing authority of the Michigan Board of Education?
– Is it wise to drop a test after only one year?
– The mixed feedback she has received on the M-STEP has led her to believe that the teachers who took the test seriously and prepared for it did all right. The teachers who grumbled about it from the outset didn’t have the same experience.
We look forward to the committee hearings and answering those questions. Stop Common Core in Michigan co-founder, Melanie Kurdys, expects the battle to get the bill passed will be tough.
“Common Core is an experiment. Our kids should not be subjects of a HUGE experiment. Adults should embrace that which is proven, has evidence of success. The successful Massachusetts standards, assessments and aligned teacher training and professional development before Common Core were in effect over 12 years!”
We have created a two-page FAQ to help parents, educators, and lawmakers understand why we should replace the Common Core with Massachusetts.
More on Massachusetts Education Success
We are eager to get this bill passed and get back to real learning in the classroom. It is time this failed experiment in education ends in Michigan. Please contact your state lawmakers and tell them to co-sponsor and support Rep. Gary Glenn’s bill to repeal and replace Common Core.